As the executive vice president and general manager of WE tv, Kim Martin oversees all aspects of the network, including marketing, programming, production and scheduling. Ms. Martin’s efforts are directed at further cementing WE tv as the content destination where strong, confident women connect to fun, entertaining programming focused on pop culture, personal style and relationships. Under her leadership, WE tv has grown dramatically and seen tremendous increases in ratings, including delivery of younger women. She is credited with the rapid growth of WE tv, now available to more than 68 million U.S. households (Source: Nielsen Media Research, as of December 2007). Under Ms. Martin’s tenure, WE tv’s original programming has grown significantly, with hit series including “Bridezillas,” “John Edward Cross Country” and “Secret Lives of Women.”
Ms. Martin joined Rainbow Media in 1999 as executive vice president of affiliate sales and marketing for AMC Networks, comprised at the time of AMC and WE, then referred to as WE: Women’s Entertainment. Prior to her promotion to executive vice president and general manager of WE in December 2004, she served as executive vice president, distribution and affiliate marketing for AMC, fuse, The Independent Film Channel (IFC), WE, LIFESKOOL (then known as Mag Rack) and SPORTSKOOL. In that role, she was responsible for the distribution of all the company’s networks and worked with allied distributors in the marketing and promotion of the channels’ product.
Before joining Rainbow Media, Ms. Martin was senior vice president of affiliate sales for Discovery Networks where she was responsible for managing affiliate sales for the United States and Canada. She was instrumental in promoting Discovery Channel, The Learning Channel, Animal Planet, Travel Channel and Discovery Health Channel, as well as developing and maintaining relationships with regional and corporate multiple system operators. Ms. Martin’s leadership resulted in overachieved sales goals every year since joining Discovery in 1992. Ms. Martin’s positions prior to joining Discovery Communications, Inc. include financial advisor for The Legend Group in West Palm Beach and senior sales representative for Mead Johnson & Company, Pharmaceutical Division in Atlanta.
Ms. Martin holds a Master of Business Administration from Georgia State University and a Bachelor of Science degree in political science from Georgia College. She is a member of Women in Cable Telecommunications (WICT) and the Cable & Telecommunications Association for Marketing (CTAM). Ms. Martin is also a graduate of WICT’s Betsy Magness Leadership Institute. She was named by CableWorld in 2006 and 2007 as one of the 50 most powerful women in cable and by Multichannel News & WICT as a member of the 2006 Class of Wonder Women.